HURRICANE

The HURRICANE project focuses on improving disaster and emergency management through the use of autonomous robotic systems to support the safety and efficiency of human first responders such as civil protection, rescue teams and other first responders in emergency situations. 

HURRICANE aims for ground robots (UGVs) and aerial robots (UAVs) to become essential tools for first responders in crisis and emergency situations.

These robots will collect crucial information from the ground using advanced sensors and transmit it to a control centre via an innovative communication network, thus avoiding the rescue team members themselves having to access a risky environment without preliminary assessment. This information will be used to create models to help rescue teams make safer and more effective decisions.

HURRICANE integrates cutting-edge technologies such as enhanced machine vision, UAV laser loading, free-space optical communication and data-driven optimisation models to provide a comprehensive disaster management solution.

Robotnik will deploy ground robots based on its advanced RB-VOGUI platform, a system specifically designed to provide efficient solutions for critical operations. This platform features the necessary hardware and software to ensure optimal performance in complex environments, difficult access or extreme conditions. RB-VOGUI has been developed to operate indoors and outdoors, making it optimal to operate in crisis scenarios such as natural disasters, industrial accidents or emergency situations in critical infrastructures.

In addition, Robotnik will exploit the synergies derived from this project to improve and optimise navigation software in unstructured environments, a key challenge in the development of mobile robot technology. Navigation in these environments involves the ability of robots to move autonomously in unpredictable spaces, with dynamic obstacles and uneven terrain, which remains a technological challenge.